Thor Offshore Wind Farm: Project Overview

Thor Offshore Wind Farm is the largest upcoming offshore wind farm in Denmark developed by RWE. The wind farm is located in the Danish North Sea, 22 kilometers off the west coast of Jutland near Thorsminde in Holstebro municipality. Thor wind project has a planned capacity of 1000 MW.

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Construction of the Thor Offshore Wind Farm began in 2024. The RWE offshore wind farm will be fully operational by the end of 2027 and will generate enough green electricity to power over a million households in Denmark.

Thor offshore wind project will primarily operate in the wholesale energy market under a near-zero subsidy framework, supported by a 20-year contract for difference (CfD) scheme. This innovative model is the highlight of the project to increase sustainability and market efficiency.

Project Background: Thor Offshore Wind Farm

Denmark has established itself as a global leader in offshore wind energy, launching the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991. The country with ideal wind conditions and futuristic energy policies, act as a strategic growth market for wind developers. The 1000 MW Thor wind farm is set to become Denmark’s largest offshore wind project supporting the nation’s climate goals.

The Thor project is part of Denmark’s 2018 Energy Agreement, which commits to build three new offshore wind farms with capacities of 800–1,000 MW each by 2030. Thor was identified as a prime site through a screening study of Danish territorial waters. The wind farm off the Denmark harnesses North Sea winds to generate renewable electricity.

Source: Jan De Nul

RWE won the rights to develop Thor and signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) following a competitive tender process in January 2022. The wind farm will feature 72 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 DD wind turbines with half of them will use CO2-reduced steel towers and 40 will include recyclable rotor blades.

The construction of Thor is supported by innovative infrastructure and careful planning. An onshore substation is being built in the municipality of Lemvig, and the Danish grid connection at Volder Mark will integrate the wind farm into Denmark’s energy system. Energinet, Denmark’s transmission system operator, is overseeing the conversion of the grid connection from 220 kV to 400 kV at Idomlund.

Key Milestones

RWE started construction of the onshore substation in 2023 and announced the use of cutting-edge technologies like GreenerTowers and recyclable blades to enhance sustainability. By early 2024, the production of turbine foundations began, marked by a ceremonial steel cutting.

Offshore construction is set to commence in spring 2025, starting with seabed preparation and monopile foundation installations. Turbine installation will follow in 2026, with full-scale operations planned by the end of 2027. The Port of Thorsminde has been designated as the operations and maintenance base, ensuring streamlined logistics and ongoing support for turbine maintenance and operations.

Where is Thor Offshore Wind Farm?

The Thor Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Danish North Sea, approximately 22 kilometers off the west coast of Jutland, near the coastal town of Thorsminde in the municipality of Holstebro.

Project Cost

The Danish Energy Agency estimated the project cost of the Thor wind farm to be around USD 2.5 billion. The revenue for the Thor Offshore Wind Farm is set at DKK 0.1/MWh (EUR 0.01/MWh), reflecting the minimum price offered in the competitive tender process.

Technical Specifications of the Thor Offshore Wind Farm

The Thor Offshore Wind Farm will feature cutting-edge technology and engineering to deliver clean, renewable energy to Denmark’s national grid. The project will consist of multiple components that work together seamlessly to generate, transmit, and convert clean energy with the highest efficiency. Below are the key technical specifications for the wind farm:

Wind Turbines and Foundations

• Turbines: 72 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbine blades will be installed at the Thor Offshore Wind Farm. These turbines are designed for high efficiency and will be among the most advanced in the world.

• Monopile Foundations: The wind farm will be supported by 72 monopile foundations. Half will be manufactured by EEW SPC, while the other half, along with secondary structures, will be supplied by Dajin Offshore. Each monopile foundation will be up to 100 meters tall and weigh approximately 1,500 tonnes.

• Foundation Design: The foundations will be engineered by the Danish-British company Wood Thilsted, ensuring robust structural support for the turbines.

• Installation: Jan De Nul Group will provide the vessel for foundation installation, scheduled for 2025.

Transmission System

• Export and Inter-array Cables: A consortium between Hellenic Cables and Jan De Nul Group will handle the offshore and onshore cable package for the wind farm. The consortium will install 60 kilometers of export cables running along a 30-kilometer cable route from the wind farm to shore. Additionally, around 200 kilometers of inter-array cables will connect the turbines to the offshore substation.

• Onshore Cables: The same consortium will also manufacture and install onshore cables linking the landfall point to the onshore substation, which will be built by Siemens Energy in the municipality of Lemvig.

• Substation: The offshore high-voltage substation, including the jacket foundation, will be designed and installed by HSM Offshore Energy. The installation of the jacket foundation and substation topside is scheduled for 2025, with commissioning and testing set for 2026.

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Installation Vessels

• Les Alizés: For foundation installation, the project will utilize Les Alizés, a purpose-built heavy lift vessel capable of transporting, lifting, and installing wind turbine foundations. With a lifting capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes and a deck loading capacity of 61,000 tonnes, it is designed to accommodate future-scale foundations.

• Tern Class Installation Vessels: For turbine installation, Fred. Olsen Windcarrier will use one of its Tern class vessels, which will be upgraded with a new, fully electric crane that has a lifting capacity of 1,600 metric tons. The crane’s design reduces environmental impact, ensuring sustainability throughout the installation phase.

Electrical Substations

• Offshore Substation: The wind farm will connect to the transmission grid via an offshore substation located near Idomlund, Denmark. Energinet, the national transmission system operator, will convert an existing 400 kV substation to accommodate the project’s electrical needs.

• Onshore Substation: The electricity generated by the Thor windfarm will be transmitted to the grid via a 220 kV substation at Volder Mark, where offshore wind power will be distributed to Denmark’s national grid.

• Underground Cables: The two substations will be connected by approximately 28 kilometers of underground cables, ensuring reliable transmission of electricity from offshore to onshore.

Contractors Involved

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Project Benefits of Thor Offshore Wind Farm

Thor Offshore Wind Farm benefits the local economy and global sustainability efforts upon its completion. The operation and maintenance phase will create up to 60 permanent jobs, including roles for technicians, engineers, and service vessel crew. Additionally, the construction phase is expected to generate 200 to 400 temporary jobs that will boost the local economy.

The project will feature Siemens Gamesa’s GreenerTowers, which use greener steel that reduces CO2 emissions by at least 63 percent compared to conventional steel. The wind farm will feature 40 of the 72 wind turbines and will be equipped with recyclable rotor blades, marking a world-first in offshore wind technology. The project will reduce the carbon footprint significantly during construction. 

Thor Wind Farm Construction Timeline

Current and Future Outlook

As of October 2024, construction of the offshore wind farm is progressing with the first batch of eight monopiles successfully offloaded and stored at the Eemshaven port in the Netherlands. These foundations will be shipped to the Danish North Sea construction site in the spring of 2025.

Seabed preparation and offshore construction will begin in early 2025, with foundation installations scheduled for spring. By 2026, turbine installation will commence, followed by the installation of the offshore substation and jacket foundation. The project’s commissioning and testing phase is expected to conclude by 2026. RWE Renewables is set to take full operational control in the fourth quarter of 2026. Thyborøn Port has recently been selected as the offshore construction base.

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